01:26 PM EDT, 04/04/2024 (MT Newswires) -- Financial stocks were advancing in Thursday afternoon trading, with the NYSE Financial Index rising 0.9% and the Financial Select Sector SPDR Fund (XLF) ahead 0.7%.

The Philadelphia Housing Index added 0.4% and the Real Estate Select Sector SPDR Fund (XLRE) was up 0.6%.

Bitcoin (BTC-USD) was increasing 2.9% to $67,886, and the yield for 10-year US Treasuries was steady at 4.35%.

In economic news, US initial jobless claims rose to 221,000 in the week ended March 30, the highest since January, from an upwardly revised 212,000 level in the previous week and compared with expectations for 214,000 in a Bloomberg survey.

The US international trade deficit widened for a third consecutive month to $68.9 billion in February from a $67.6 billion gap in January, versus the $67.6 billion shortfall expected in a survey compiled by Bloomberg, as growth in imports outpaced exports.

In corporate news, Coinbase (COIN) was registered as a restricted dealer by the Canadian Securities Administrators, making it the largest and first international crypto exchange registered in Canada, the company said. Its shares gained 2.1%.